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VladimirP 1 point ago +1 / -0

Read "The Bell Curve". Seriously, read it.

The point is, the black-white IQ gap is huge (1 SD) even at a low resolution, so it shouldn't be ignored. While in reality public policies deny its existence and legally enforce racial quotas (four-fifths rule).

There will be some overlap with population group associations and race associations

Genetic clusters and self-identified race align perfectly.

Might be many other issues, given there are probable major confounding factors that co-associate with race.

Go find a single one. The science deniers have been making up "possible issues" for over 100 years, without providing any evidence.

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AJoeDD 1 point ago +1 / -0

I've heard of The Bell Curve book when News of it getting censored despite being scientifically rigorous came out. I'm not denying IQ usefulness as an accurate predictor, just questioning how it is applied on large groups.

An example on your point below, some years ago I remember some IQ tests that included places in China. Shanghai, one of the richest (or richest cities) had a high ranking, but rural places in the same country were less, maybe by 10 points IIRC. Since we'd classify them as the same race, it suggests confounding effects related to wealth. Just to follow up, are you really sure all genetic clusters self-identify with race? Africa is a pretty huge place so I'd doubt there would be homogeneity in IQ or other characteristics. I hazily remember hearing around 10 years ago how Nigerians were the "most successful" immigrant group and had above average performance in school. I would guess that perhaps that group does not follow the same IQ trend as various other African populations.

I find it entirely rational that something like an IQ test to be influenced by experience, particularly education. There might be some ways to control for this by real tests, so you can inform if that's true. Otherwise looking to what I know from non-official IQ tests and SATs, I can say education experience should be a huge factor. Continuing with East Asian IQs which were recorded to be higher in the US and places like Japan/Hong Kong/Singapore, I think there are confounders in the US as well. My former Chinese colleagues almost all sent their kids to additional private schooling from when they're in elementary school, and I'm fairly confident they do more studying and teaching with their kids than in most other populations, on average. My guess is this confounder could be large, especially for younger ages, if that education has started.

I don't doubt the importance of a population having 1 SD difference, but I have no idea what this should motivate us to do, policy wise. If this is accurate, it means you have about 33% of normal and above IQs in that broad population. A minority, but still a ton of people. If we did want to do anything based on IQ, it would be best if we could have all individuals take an IQ test and then respond individually, letting the chips fall where they may.

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VladimirP 2 points ago +2 / -0

Well, I've already commented in this thread, that you'd want to use a better predictor than racial average when considering regression to the mean in a particular couple. But it's still better than nothing.

Also nobody claims that IQ is 100% determined by the genes. The claim is that it's about 80% (of the variance in a given population) heritable in adults in developed countries. And the remaining 20% cannot be systematically influenced. That is, the effects of parental wealth and private schooling on IQ gradually disappear past puberty.

By definition, intelligence is the ability to solve novel problems. IQ measures that ability very well. If you start training for IQ tests they stop being a good measure. But that doesn't improve your ability to solve novel problems.

I remember some IQ tests that included places in China. Shanghai, one of the richest (or richest cities) had a high ranking, but rural places in the same country were less, maybe by 10 points IIRC. Since we'd classify them as the same race, it suggests confounding effects related to wealth.

108 vs 101 — still higher than some richer countries.

are you really sure all genetic clusters self-identify with race?

99% for the blacks and whites in the US. You determine the number of clusters and they map very recognizably.

it means you have about 33% of normal and above IQs in that broad population.

~16%, if by normal you mean average white.

If we did want to do anything based on IQ, it would be best if we could have all individuals take an IQ test and then respond individually, letting the chips fall where they may.

Absolutely. But that is currently illegal.

I have no idea what this should motivate us to do, policy wise.

Doing less harm would be a good start, since some policies are based entirely on denial of race and sex differences. I think Charles Murray has policy suggestions in his books. Here are two YouTube interviews with him: 1, 2.

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AJoeDD 1 point ago +1 / -0

Good info and reasoning. Given the tendency for these topics to get derailed I've not seen some of these points before. I tend to think you're right, in general, but I do find it important to note exceptions on this topic.

This conversation reminds me of hearing that Norway and some other countries had declining IQ, which is obviously a motivational reason to pay attention to this field - to address my own question from before.

Just a comment on the genetic clustering pic linked, I am unsure the clusters shown are of a sufficient resolution to conclude anything. To clarify my earlier point, I wasn't doubting the conclusions of stronger similarity in racial groups for genetic markers, or something. I think within those groups there are subgroups that can vary within each other, probably a lot. Prior maps I've seen show big differences among European groups, yet here Europeans are almost almost identical. And nearly visually the same as Middle Eastern groups, such as with Palestinians. I did a quick search and the IQ there is 85 (couldn't get the peer reviewed(?) study by Lynn that came up on the search, so I'm assuming Quora and other sources are right atm). Regardless, the link is the type of chart I'd expect from any broad genetics clustering attempt. That is, something that follows continental migrations, commonly known history, and racial groups. But it cannot exclude that there were different subclusters in these subclusters which has substantial variation. Something supporting this here.

To make an extreme example, let's say one of the subgroups from your link had a population isolated in an island that was founded with a high IQ lineage, and happened to continue in that direction (or we could say a dumb group -- may be easier to imagine). Such groups could not be visible in the type of link you showed, they'd be identical to whatever the nearest population is, unless you had a higher resolution examination. So I believe we can't exclude that intragroup variation interferes with racial generalizations, still.

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VladimirP 2 points ago +2 / -0

Oh, you are absolutely right that racial groups are very crude and shouldn't be used when a better metric is available. But they are already used when assessing policing, education, hiring, housing.

I'm not advocating for writing race back into public policies. As you point out, it would be very unfair to some people. But naturally occurring group differences should be taken into consideration, and not as an evidence of unfairness. For example, racial profiling by police isn't bad overall. And schools would end up (mostly) racially segregated if you fairly segregate by ability. Some welfare policies lower selection pressure (all the way into the negative) and exacerbate the problems. A lot of corporate wokeness was initially driven by the legal threats.

I think within those groups there are subgroups that can vary within each other, probably a lot.

Of course. But the clustering refutes the leftist narrative that "races are social constructs". It shows that the stereotypical groups align with the best fit genetical grouping and geography. And they align much better than expected.

couldn't get the peer reviewed(?) study by Lynn

https://sci-hub.se/10.1016/j.intell.2014.08.004 direct link

There are better clusters, where Middle East has distinct composition even at K=2. K2-7 and subsets, K7. But the IQ difference with Europe could be partially environmental.

Notice, that 1 SD difference in IQ (85 vs 100) is within the US. Sub-Saharan Africans score below 70. And 2nd generation immigrants to developed countries gain IQ.